Making Strides with SNHU Running

Project Leaders

Junior Skyler Shugrue comes to SNHU from Worcestor, MA, a 2013 graduate of St. Peter Marian High School. As a four-year veteran of both cross country and indoor track, Shugrue was named racked up the Team MVP title for track her junior and senior year, and qualified for Districts in her events all four years. Shugrue is a fashion merchandising major.

Sophomore Tyle McLaren, originally from Pepperell, MA, graduated from Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, NH, in 2014. At SNHU, McLaren was twice named Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week and posted a school record 8K time of 26:07 at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational in 2014. He is SNHU’s top finisher in five of six cross country events.

Sophomore Melissa Melanson graduated from Goffstown High School in her hometown of Goffstown, NH in 2014. She received the winter track Sportsmanship Award her junior year, and brings a strong sense of teamwork and dedication to SNHU. Melanson is a marketing major.

Junior Laura O’Hanlon is on both the women's cross country and women's track and field teams. A 2013 graduate of Dedham High School in Dedham, MA, O’Hanlon played five different varsity sports during her high school career. She posted the highest-ever finish by an SNHU student-athlete at the Northeast-10 Championship, placing fourth with a 5K time of 25:23 in 2014. O’Hanlon is a business marketing major.

Who Are We?

We are distance runners, sprinters, throwers, and jumpers. Despite our different events and training styles, we all come together as Southern New Hampshire University Cross Country and Track & Field. We are one of the fastest growing teams on campus, building our program from the ground up day by day. Our 31 student-athletes have embraced an underdog approach, making us even more dedicated, disciplined, and motivated. We have ambitious goals on both the personal and team level to become better athletes and continue growing our program.

What Are We Doing?

We are raising $4,000 to help offset the cost of the hundreds of pairs shoes our team goes through in one year. Athletes like jumpers and throwers need a different shoe for each event. Sprinters need lightweight trainers and spikes in order to be the fastest on the track. And every athlete on the team needs multiple pairs of shoes – not just for competing, but for the endless miles of training, as well. These shoes are the foundation of our program, and without them, our growth is limited.

Why Should You Help?

We need your support to perform at our highest potential! Providing shoes for our athletes means fewer injuries, more efficient training, and greater results. A typical distance runner can max out the miles on his or her shoes within 2-3 months of training, or an average of 500 miles of work. If we run in these shoes for too long, injuries start to appear and these can compound to major problems for the athlete and future of the team. Every dollar you donate goes directly to our team, supporting us (and our feet!) as we race to greatness!

Project Updates

+ Thank you for your support! - May 12, 2016

As we wrap up the year and head home for the summer, we want to extend our gratitude to all the donors and Penmen fans who supported our crowdfunding campaign. Thanks to you, we were able to raise $1,760 towards new shoes for everyone on our teams, which will help set us up for success in the fall. THANK YOU for giving us a helping hand!

+ Aaaand... we're off! - April 7, 2016

We've officially launched our first-ever crowdfunding campaign, chasing a goal of $4,000 to help offset the cost of all-important footwear for our athletes! Please consider supporting our fundraising effort, and make sure to follow us on Twitter!